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Continuous Integration Certifications

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Harness Certified Expert - DeveloperHarness Certified Expert - AdministratorHarness Certified Expert - Architect
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  • For Administrators
  • For Architects

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Continuous Integration - Developer

Harness Certified Expert - CI DeveloperProduct version: Harness CI Free/Team Plans

Review Study Guide

Assesses the fundamental skills to deploy CI projects.
TopicMaterial
1. Harness Basics, Platform Entities, and Key Concepts
Familiarize with artifacts, packages, and different CI build infrastructuresHarness CI
Set up and configure connectors like Git and Docker HubConnect to an Artifact Repo
2. Grasp the role of Harness Delegate and differences between Pipeline Studio and YAML structure
Understand and use Harness expressions and variablesFixed values, runtime inputs, and expressions
Get familiar with different types of artifacts and scanning optionsArtifacts tab
3. Discover supported platforms and Operating Systems on Harness Cloud
Define and configure connectors, and understand their usageCreate a connector using YAML
Learn about the Harness Delegate and Harness ManagerHarness Platform architecture
4. RBAC, best practices, and small configuration tasks
Understand shared paths and Drone/CI pluginsCI pipeline basics
Learn about caching and test intelligence in HarnessCache Intelligence
5. Configure triggers, input sets, overlays, and failure strategies in CI
Understand and apply conditional execution and looping strategiesLooping strategies overview -- matrix, repeat, and parallelism
Learn about advanced options such as timeout settings and selective stage executionsCI Build stage settings
6. Set up notifications based on pipeline events
Configure and run steps on host vs containersRun Step Settings
Learn about chaining pipelines and GitHub actions support in Harness CIPipeline chaining in Harness
7. Navigate through the Harness User Interface features such as the Overview, Build and Pipelines tabs
Understand and configure tags and the execution history tab in Pipeline StudioTags References
Learn about details, inputs, and outputs in step configurationUse step groups to organize CI steps
8. Understand Docker Image pulls, their risks, and how to use images when shells are unavailable
Learn about troubleshooting pipeline steps and Harness Cloud's advantagesTroubleshoot CI
Set up and manage user groups and permissions at different levelsAdd and manage target groups
9. Perform a basic Delegate installation and set container resources
Learn about chained pipelines and GitHub actions supportUse the GitHub Action plugin step
Get familiar with common CI plugins and how to configure themExplore plugins

Exam Details

The Continuous Integration Developer exam tests your knowledge and skills of the Harness Integration Delivery module.

Prerequisites

  • Basic terminal skills
  • Basic understanding of on-premise or cloud architecture

Exam Details

Exam Duration: 90 minutes
Question Type: Multiple choice

Covered DomainCoverage
CI Domain65%
Hosted Builds15%
Test Intelligence10%
Code Configuration10%

Exam Objectives

List of Objectives

The following is a detailed list of exam objectives:

#Objectives
1Understand the basics of Harness and key concepts
1.1Familiarize with artifacts, packages, and different CI build infrastructures
1.2Set up and configure connectors like Git and Docker Hub
2Grasp the role of Harness Delegate and differences between Pipeline Studio and YAML structure
2.1Understand and use Harness expressions and variables
2.2Get familiar with different types of artifacts and scanning options
3Discover supported platforms and Operating Systems on Harness Cloud
3.1Define and configure connectors, and understand their usage
3.2Learn about the Harness Delegate and Harness Manager
4Explore Harness Step Library for CI stages and codebase configuration
4.1Understand shared paths and Drone/CI plugins
4.2Learn about caching and test intelligence in Harness
5Configure triggers, input sets, overlays, and failure strategies in CI
5.1Understand and apply conditional execution and looping strategies
5.2Learn about advanced options such as timeout settings and selective stage executions
6Set up notifications based on pipeline events
6.1Configure and run steps on host vs containers
6.2Learn about chaining pipelines and GitHub actions support in Harness CI
7Navigate through the Harness User Interface features such as the Overview, Build and Pipelines tabs
7.1Understand and configure tags and the execution history tab in Pipeline Studio
7.2Learn about details, inputs, and outputs in step configuration
8Understand Docker Image pulls, their risks, and how to use images when shells are unavailable
8.1Learn about troubleshooting pipeline steps and Harness Cloud's advantages
8.2Set up and manage user groups and permissions at different levels
9Perform a basic Delegate installation and set container resources
9.1Learn about chained pipelines and GitHub actions support
9.2Get familiar with common CI plugins and how to configure them

Next Steps

The Continuous Integration Developer exam can start immediately after registering. Please allow up to 90 mins for the exam.

  1. Create an account in Harness University
  2. Register for an exam
  3. Take the exam

Prepare for the Exam

Get Certified | Harness Expert

Continuous Integration - Administrator

Harness Certified Expert - CIs AdministratorProduct version: Harness CI Enterprise Plan

Review Study Guide

Assesses the fundamental skills to deploy and maintain CI projects and the overall Harness Platform. This exam builds upon the CI Developer Certification.
TopicMaterial
1. Introduction to Harness and Key Concepts
Understand continuous integration fundamentals, including critical stages or stepsHarness CI
Grasp the core concepts: "Pipeline, Stages, Step Groups, Steps" and Harness hierarchy "Account, Organizations, Projects"Key Concepts
Familiarize with Harness Manager and the role of Harness Delegate for CI capabilityCI Pipeline Basics
2. Harness Build Infrastructure and Configuration
Explore Harness Cloud supported platforms, OS, and build infrastructuresUse Harness Cloud build infrastructure
Dive into CI Build Infrastructures and their diverse optionsHarness CI
Understand Ephemeral Environments and the specific requirements for a K8s Build environmentWhich build infrastructure is right for me
3. Artifact Management and Connectivity
Grasp Artifacts and Packages spanning from jar to container image, helm, and moreArtifacts Tab
Describe and configure Artifact Repositories like cont registry, object store, jfrog, nexus, etcConnect to an Artifact repository
Delve into Harness Connectors: configuration of Git, DockerHub, and moreConnectors
4. Harness CI Pipelines and Advanced Features
Master Codebase configuration, shared paths, and step library, including plugin configurationsCreate and configure a codebase
Understand and set up advanced features like caching intelligence, test intelligence, and flow controlCache Intelligence
Configure pipeline features, including triggers, input sets, failure strategies, looping, and notificationsInput sets and overlays
5. Pipeline Execution Strategies
Get to grips with execution environments: running steps on host vs. containersStage and step conditional execution settings
Manage outputs, PR status updates, and understand chained pipelinesOutput variables with chained pipeline
Delve into advanced options like timeouts, selective stage executions, and stage context sharingContinuous Integration (CI) FAQs
6. Security and Access Control
Understand RBAC with user groups, roles, role bindings, and service account considerationsRBAC in Harness
Configure access and permissions, including tags and resource groupsPermissions Reference
Grasp the implications of anonymous Docker image pulls and other security considerationsDocker Connector Settings Reference
7. Authentication and User Management
Deep dive into OAuth, SAML, and SCIM integrationsAuthentication
Set up and manage credentials, user and group permissions, and moreManage user groups
Delve into debugging and troubleshooting techniques, including running pipeline steps locallyTroubleshoot CI
8. Policy-Based Governance and Compliance
Explore and configure policy as code with OPA and RegoHarness Policy As Code quickstart
Familiarize with account audit trails and their respective use casesView audit trail
9. Enterprise Features and Dashboards
Delve into Enterprise dashboards, including custom options like LookerBest practices for building dashboards
Explore Pipeline Studio's execution history and other related featuresRun pipelines using input sets and overlays
Get a handle on pipeline templatization for scalable CI solutionsBest practices and guidelines for templates

Exam Details

The Continuous Integration Administrator exam tests your knowledge and skills of the Harness Continuous Integration module.

Prerequisites

  • Intermediate terminal skills
  • Basic understanding of on-premise or cloud architecture
  • This exam builds upon the CI Developer Exam

Exam Details

Exam TypeDuration
Knowledge Exam90 minutes
Hands On Exam120 minutes
Covered DomainCoverage
Harness Basics, Platform Entities, and Key Concepts60%
Harness CI Pipelines and its Features20%
RBAC, Best Practices, and Small Config Tasks10%
Enterprise - Policy-based Governance (OPA), Dashboards, and Pipeline Templatization10%

Exam Objectives

List of Objectives

The following is a detailed list of exam objectives:

#Objectives
1Harness Platform Fundamentals
1.1Understand continuous integration fundamentals and Harness hierarchy
1.2Describe and configure key concepts like Artifacts, Packages, Build Infrastructures, and Connectors
1.3Understand Harness Cloud and its supported platforms
2Harness Configuration & Management
2.1Learn to trigger build pipelines, manage secrets, and use expressions
2.2Understand and install Harness Delegate
2.3Describe and configure the Harness Manager
3Harness Kubernetes Environment
3.1Understand requirements for a K8s build environment, stages, steps, and how they share network context
3.2Learn about project variables and how to install software on the delegate
4Harness CI Pipelines and Features
4.1Perform Codebase configuration and configure shared paths
4.2Describe and configure caching, test intelligence, and triggers
5Advanced Configurations in Harness CI
5.1Learn to configure Input Sets, Overlays, Failure Strategies, and perform Conditional Execution
5.2Understand and configure Looping Strategies, Flow Control, and Barriers
6Notifications & Steps in Harness CI
6.1Learn to configure notifications and send PR Status updates
6.2Understand and configure various steps from the Step Library
7Harness Security & User Management
7.1Understand Docker Image pulls and its risks, set container resources, and security actions
7.2Learn about OAuth and SAML Integrations, and RBAC in User Groups
8Roles, Resource Groups & Tags in Harness
8.1Understand and configure RBAC, Roles, Resource Groups, and Tags
8.2Learn about Execution History Tab in Pipeline Studio
9Harness Policy Governance & Customization
9.1Understand and configure Templates, Policy as Code, and Custom Dashboards
9.2Learn to enforce governance in a pipeline and understand Account Audit Trail

Next Steps

The Continuous Integration Administrator exam can start immediately after registering. Please allow 90 mins for the knowledge exam and approximately 90 minutes for the hands on exam.

  1. Create an account in Harness University
  2. Register for an exam. There is a $50 fee for the exam
  3. Review the instructions for the Hands On Exam
  4. Take the exams
    1. There will be a knowledge and hands on portion.

Prepare for the Exam

Get Certified | Harness Expert

Continuous Integration - Architect (BETA)

Harness Certified Expert - CI ArchitectProduct version: Harness CI Enterprise Plan

Review Study Guide (BETA)

Assess key technical job functions and advanced skills in design, implementation and management of CI. This exam builds upon the CI Admin Certification
TopicMaterial
1: Advanced CI Concepts and Harness Practices
Discuss the principles of Continuous Integration in the context of the Harness platform, including advanced practices such as parallel execution, matrix builds, and pipeline optimization.What is Harness CI
Design and implement CI strategies within Harness, evaluating and analyzing the benefits and drawbacks in various contexts.Looping strategies overview -- matrix, repeat, and parallelism
Implement advanced CI best practices within the Harness environment, such as trunk-based development, branch by abstraction, and feature toggling.Pipeline chaining and more
2: Harness CI Tools Proficiency
Demonstrate expert-level knowledge of Harness’s CI capabilities, utilizing its unique features to fit specific project requirements.All Harness CI Tutorials
Customize and extend Harness CI functionalities through scripts or platform settings for complex CI flows.What's supported by Harness CI
Integrate Harness with other elements of the DevOps toolchain, including version control systems, artifact repositories, and deployment tools.Optimize and enhance CI
3: Version Control and Harness Integration
Exhibit proficiency in managing complex Version Control Systems (VCS) within the Harness environment, focusing on advanced branching and merging strategies.Unified CI/CD
Demonstrate the ability to manage large-scale codebases in Harness, including conflict resolution, code reviews, and blame tracking.Code coverage
Implement advanced GitOps strategies within a CI context in Harness, including automated synchronization, error handling, and rollback procedures.Add a Harness GitOps repository
4: Advanced Testing Strategies with Harness CI
Apply advanced software testing techniques within Harness CI pipelines, including component testing, mutation testing, property-based testing, and contract testing.Run tests in CI pipelines
Implement test environment management and test data management practices within Harness CI pipelines.Format test reports
Manage complex testing scenarios in Harness, including handling flaky tests and performance tests.Enable Test Intelligence
5: Harness Build Systems and Scripting
Exhibit proficiency in using Harness for managing advanced build systems and tools, including handling complex dependencies, multi-module projects, and artifact management.Background step settings
Write complex build scripts and manage script lifecycle within the Harness environment.Optimize and enhance CI pipelines
Optimize build performance and manage build infrastructure using Harness.Set up build infrastructure
6: Harness CI Metrics and Insights
Analyze and interpret advanced CI metrics in Harness, including build times, pass/fail rates, flaky tests, and code coverage.DORA metrics dashboard
Implement monitoring and alerting within Harness CI pipelines.Dashboards
Use insights from Harness CI metrics to drive process improvement and optimization.Troubleshoot CI
7: Security Practices in Harness CI
Implement secure development practices within Harness CI, including static code analysis, dynamic analysis, and secret scanning.View code coverage reports on the Artifacts tab
Manage access control, credentials, and permissions within the Harness CI environment.Manage access control
Discuss and implement security incident response within Harness CI pipelines.Configure audit streaming
8: Harness CI/CD Pipeline as Code
Implement CI/CD Pipeline as Code in Harness, enabling versioning, peer review, and auditability of pipelines.Git Experience vs Configuration as Code FAQs
Apply best practices for structuring, testing, and maintaining CI/CD Pipeline as Code in Harness.Harness Policy As Code quickstart
Manage complex multi-stage pipelines in Harness using Pipeline as Code.Use multiple services and environments in a deployment
9: Scaling CI/CD Systems in Harness
Demonstrate knowledge of scaling CI/CD systems in Harness, including distributed builds, parallelization, and handling of large codebases.Queue Intelligence
Implement auto-scaling in Harness to manage load in CI/CD systems.Use Harness Cloud build infrastructure
Apply advanced troubleshooting techniques to address common bottlenecks in scaled CI/CD systems within Harness.Troubleshoot CI

Exam Details (BETA)

The Continuous Integration Architect exam tests your knowledge and skills of the Harness Continuous Integration module.

Prerequisites

Exam Details

Exam TypeDuration
Knowledge Exam90 minutes
Hands On Exam120 minutes
Covered Domain% of Coverage
Advanced CI Concepts and Harness Practices12.5%
Harness CI Tools Proficiency12.5%
Version Control and Harness Integration12.5%
Advanced Testing Strategies with Harness CI12.5%
Harness Build Systems and Scripting12.5%
Harness CI Metrics and Insights12.5%
Security Practices in Harness CI12.5%
Harness CI/CD Pipeline as Code12.5%
Scaling CI/CD Systems in Harness12.5%

Exam Objectives

List of Objectives

The following is a detailed list of exam objectives:

#Objective
1Advanced CI Concepts and Harness Practices
1.1Discuss the principles of Continuous Integration in the context of the Harness platform, including advanced practices such as parallel execution, matrix builds, and pipeline optimization.
1.2Design and implement CI strategies within Harness, evaluating and analyzing the benefits and drawbacks in various contexts.
1.3Implement advanced CI best practices within the Harness environment, such as trunk-based development, branch by abstraction, and feature toggling.
2Harness CI Tools Proficiency
2.1Demonstrate expert-level knowledge of Harness’s CI capabilities, utilizing its unique features to fit specific project requirements.
2.2Customize and extend Harness CI functionalities through scripts or platform settings for complex CI flows.
2.3Integrate Harness with other elements of the DevOps toolchain, including version control systems, artifact repositories, and deployment tools.
3Version Control and Harness Integration
3.1Exhibit proficiency in managing complex Version Control Systems (VCS) within the Harness environment, focusing on advanced branching and merging strategies.
3.2Demonstrate the ability to manage large-scale codebases in Harness, including conflict resolution, code reviews, and blame tracking.
3.3Implement advanced GitOps strategies within a CI context in Harness, including automated synchronization, error handling, and rollback procedures.
4Advanced Testing Strategies with Harness CI
4.1Apply advanced software testing techniques within Harness CI pipelines, including component testing, mutation testing, property-based testing, and contract testing.
4.2Implement test environment management and test data management practices within Harness CI pipelines.
4.3Manage complex testing scenarios in Harness, including handling flaky tests and performance tests.
5Harness Build Systems and Scripting
5.1Exhibit proficiency in using Harness for managing advanced build systems and tools, including handling complex dependencies, multi-module projects, and artifact management.
5.2Write complex build scripts and manage script lifecycle within the Harness environment.
5.3Optimize build performance and manage build infrastructure using Harness.
6Harness CI Metrics and Insights
6.1Analyze and interpret advanced CI metrics in Harness, including build times, pass/fail rates, flaky tests, and code coverage.
6.2Implement monitoring and alerting within Harness CI pipelines.
6.3Use insights from Harness CI metrics to drive process improvement and optimization.
7Security Practices in Harness CI
7.1Implement secure development practices within Harness CI, including static code analysis, dynamic analysis, and secret scanning.
7.2Manage access control, credentials, and permissions within the Harness CI environment.
7.3Discuss and implement security incident response within Harness CI pipelines.
8Harness CI/CD Pipeline as Code
8.1Implement CI/CD Pipeline as Code in Harness, enabling versioning, peer review, and auditability of pipelines.
8.2Apply best practices for structuring, testing, and maintaining CI/CD Pipeline as Code in Harness.
8.3Manage complex multi-stage pipelines in Harness using Pipeline as Code.
9Scaling CI/CD Systems in Harness
9.1Demonstrate knowledge of scaling CI/CD systems in Harness, including distributed builds, parallelization, and handling of large codebases.
9.2Implement auto-scaling in Harness to manage load in CI/CD systems.
9.3Apply advanced troubleshooting techniques to address common bottlenecks in scaled CI/CD systems within Harness.

Next Steps

The Continuous Integration Architect exam can start immediately after registering. Please allow up to 90 mins for the knowledge exam and up to 2 hours for the hands-on exam.

  1. Create an account in Harness University
  2. Register for an exam. There is a $50 fee for the exam
  3. Review the instructions for the Hands-On Exam
  4. Take the exams
    1. There will be a knowledge and hands-on portion.